BIANCOSCURO #76: Geopolitics and Art at Venice Biennale and Art Basel

In the editorial for BIANCOSCURO #76 (June/July 2026), director Vincenzo Chetta reflects on the politicization of the Venice Biennale, where national pavilions have become sites of geopolitical protest, particularly against Russia and Israel. He questions whether national boundaries still make sense for art when current events violently shake them. Chetta contrasts this with Art Basel in Basel, which he describes as the true seismograph of the contemporary art world, prioritizing market quality and elite collecting over ideological distractions. BIANCOSCURO will be present at Art Basel distributing its print magazine and producing video reports. Chetta also announces the BIANCOSCURO Art Contest Monte-Carlo Edition, calling for artists to participate. He concludes by pondering whether art today oscillates between being a geopolitical weapon and a luxury financial asset, leaving little space for pure human expression.